Pelton turbine of the horizontal shaft type



.L. ARMANET PELTON TURBINE OF THE HORIZONTAL SHAFT TYPE Filed June '7, 1967 sept. 3, 1968 INVENTQR 2 Sheets-Sheet l Sept 3, 1968 l.. ARMANET 3,399,864

PELTON TURBINE OF THE HORIZONTAL SHAFT TYPE Filed June '7, 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIGLZ INVENT OR United States Patent O 3,399,864 PELTON TURBINE OF THE HORIZONTAL SHAFT TYPE Lucien Armanet, Geneva, Switzerland, assigner to Ate- ABSTRACT F THE DISCLOSURE A Pelton turbine .of the horizontal shaft type wherein the wheel driving the generator is subjected to more than two jets of water produced by injectors. The water spurting out of said injectors passes towards an exhaust channel through an opening formed laterally in the casing enclosing the wheel which casing is embedded in concrete.

The present invention relates to a Pelton turbine of the horizontal shaft type. The number of injectors adapted to be used for feeding a Pelton turbine of a conventional horizontal sha-ft type including a wheel, a frame and a casing covering the upper part of the wheel is generally limited to two as a maximum. As a matter of fact, in the case where it is desired to fit a third injector on such a type o-f Pelton turbine, the water spurting out of said third injector is liable to produce disturbances which may lead to a reduced efficiency of the machine. Since it is desirable to provide, when the conditions of operation allow it, the largest possible number of injectors for the feeding of a given wheel so as to increase the speed of rotation of the wheel, the present invention has for its object to produce a Pelton turbine of the horizontal shaft type a-dapted to be lfed by a plurality of injectors and preferably by more than two injectors distributed around its wheel. To this end, the turbine frame is provi-ded with a lateral opening through which the water fed by the injectors may be exhausted.

The accompanying drawings illustrate diagrammatically and by way of example a preferred embodiment of the turbine according to the invention. 40

In said drawings:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view of the turbine part of which is shown in axial cross-section.

FIG. 2 is an elevational View at right angles with FIG. 1, part of the turbine being shown cross-sectionally through line II--II of FIG. 1.

In the drawings the Pelton turbine illustrated includes a wheel 1 secured in an overhanging condition at the end of a horizontal shaft 2 revolving in the stationary -bearings 3 and 4. Between said bearings 3 and 4, said shaft carries a current generator S.

The 4frame of said Pelton turbine is formed by a metal casing 6 embedded in a mass of concrete 7. The metal casing 6 is provided with a lateral opening at 8 so as to allow an exit of the water passing out of the injectors 9 towards the exhaust channel 10. The injectors 9 are fed by a main duct 11 introducing the water and subdivided into a number of -branch pipes 12 leading each to an injector 9. Each injector 9 incorporated with the machine 65 is associated with a valve 13. It `is thus possible to disconnect each injector by acting after closing of the valves 13 through the exhaust opening 8 through which the water passes out of the frame. As disclosed in the prior Australian patent application No. 47,976/ 64, said valves 13 are preferably provided with a first seat for normal operation and with an auxiliary seat to be used lwhen the 3,399,864 Patented Sept. 3, 1968 normal seat is to be reconditioned. In the latter case, each branch pipe 12 is closed by means of its auxiliary seat fitted in the upstream section of the valve body.

A's is apparent from inspection of the drawings, the casing 6 is embedded in a mass of concrete 7 which also encloses the main feed duct 11 and its -branch pipes 12. In order to allow an easy dismantling of the turbine wheel 1, a passage 14 is provided in the upper section of the -frame 6 embedded in concrete. Said passage is closed during normal operation by a plug member 15. The latter may be constituted by a concrete plate the lower surface of which is covered by a metal sheet in alignment withthe metal frame 6 so as to ensure the continuity of of the metal surface.

This dismantling of the wheel is performed as follows: after bringing a carriage 16 on the travelling bridge 17 into vertical registry with the wheel, the removable oor 18, closing the pit in which the water is collected before exhaust, is removed. This being done, the plug member 1S is removed so as to open the passage 14 whereupon it is possible to attach the hook on the travelling bridge carriage to the wheel 1 during dismantling of the latter from the shaft 2. Lastly, the carriage 16 is shifted towards the right-hand side of FIG. l and the wheel 1 can thus be raised inside the pit through which the water is exhausted. The wheel is ten rotated horizontally through so as to enter the position 1a (FIG. l) and is then :brought into the machine passageway in the direction of the arrow 20 through an opening 19 provided in the upper section of the mass of concrete 7.

The special structure of the frame 6 of said Pelton turbine which is provided with a lateral opening, permits installation of a plurality of injectors 9 around the wheel 1, the number of injectors being equal to three, four or more. The increased number of injectors does not produce any objectionable result ascribable to the spurting of the water which would impair the eiciency of the turbine. Said special structure of the frame 6 is thus such that it is possible to drive the wheel 1 at a high speed under the action of the large number 0f injectors 9 adapted to feed said wheel 1. The rise in the rotary speed of the wheel 1 allows reducing substantially the bulk of the current generator 5 and consequently also the general size of the hydro-electric plant of which said Pelton turbine lforms part. In the case of a four jet turbine revolving at a well-defined speed, it would be necessary with the conventional structure to provide two wheels each subjected to two jets which means a :bulky and expensive arrangement, whereas in the case of the arrangement according to the invention, the four injectors are distributed around a single wheel.

In the embodiment illustrated, the frame 6 forms a casing constituted by a plurality of elements arranged along a polygonal outline around the axis of the turbine. Obviously, said casing could as well be of a conventional circular type or be of another shape including possibly arched parts combined with straight parts, all Isaid particular shapes of the casing 6 being opened laterally to facilitate the exhaust of water towards the exhaust channel 10.

I claim:

1. In a Pelton turbine comprising a horizontal shaft, a Awheel and a generator rigid with said shaft, the improvement comprising, at least two injectors distributed peripherally around said wheel, a casing enclosingsaid wheel and injectors, said casing provided with a lateral opening for the exhaust of water passing off the wheel.

2. A turbine as claimed in claim l, comprising a valved tube -feeding each injector, a main duct feeding water to each of said valved tubes and a mass of con- 3 crete in which the outer surface of said casing is ernbedded and through which said tubes extend.

3. A turbine as claimed in claim 1, comprising a valved tube feeding each injector, each injector being disconnectably tted on its tube and adapted respective to be acted upon for removal through said lateral opening.

4. A turbine as claimed in claim 1, comprising a valved tube feeding each injector, a main duct feeding water to the different tubes and a mass of concrete in which the outer surface of said casing is embedded and through which said tubes extend, a passageway being provided through the upper section of the turbine casing and through the corresponding portion of the concrete mass through which passageway the wheel :may be reached and removed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS FOREIGN PATENTS France.

EVERETTE A. POWELL, I R., Pmary Examiner. 

